Geo-tagged journal system for location-aware mobile communication devices

• US 8,073,461 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Dot Corporation
• Original Assignee: Loopt Incorporated (Green Dot Corporation)
• Inventors: Altman, Samuel H., Sivo, Nicholas T., Pernikoff, Thomas B., Deshpande, Alok, Pernikoff, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/932,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/459, 455/556.2, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 : by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

Embodiments of a location sharing network manager process are described. The process is executed on a server computer coupled to a plurality of mobile communication devices over a wireless network. Each mobile device is a location-aware mobile communication device. The process determines the geographic location of a mobile communication device operated by a user within an area, displays a map representation of the area around the mobile communication device on a graphical user interface of the mobile communication device, and superimposes on the map the respective locations of one or more other trusted users of mobile communication devices coupled to the mobile communication device over the network. A journal creation and management component provides tools for users to create and store user-generated content in the form of an online journal. This user-generated content can be automatically tagged with location information provided by the location-aware mobile communication device. Such geo-tagged journal information can be shared with specific users in the network or utilized by users with specific interest in the location dimension of the journal content. The user-generated content can be provided in the form of text or graphic messages, pictures, audio/video clips, and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a journal entry created by a user through a location-aware mobile device that is coupled to a plurality of other user'"'"'s through a communication network;

determining a location of the user through a location-determination circuit on the location-aware mobile device;

determining a creation time of the journal entry through a clock circuit on the location-aware mobile device;

tagging, by the location-determination circuit on the location-aware mobile device, the journal entry with at least one of the location and creation time;

storing the journal entry in a database; and

providing access to the journal entry by other users of the communication network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving comment information from one or more of the other users for the journal entry;

alerting the user when comment information has been received for the journal entry; and

allowing the user to provide additional comments in response to the comment information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the other users operates a respective location-aware mobile device, each configured to display a map showing the location of each of the other users.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the database is stored on a data store of a server computer coupled to the location-aware mobile devices of the user and each of the other users.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein each of the other users is a registered friend of the user as validated by a validation process executed by the server computer.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing limited access to the journal entry to unvalidated users comprising users who are not validated by the validation process, the limited access comprising viewing the journal entry without the location information.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface component further comprises:

an input module receiving comment information from one or more of the other users for the journal entry; and

an alert module alerting the user when comment information has been received for the journal entry.

2. A location-aware mobile communication device system comprising:

a location determination component determining the relative locations of a plurality of mobile devices within a defined area;

a map display component displaying a scalable map on each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;

a location sharing component displaying the location of a first mobile device on the scalable map and displaying the locations of one or more other mobile devices on the scalable map when a trusted relationship has been established between a user of the first mobile device and respective users of the one or more other mobile devices, and a location sharing option has been enabled;

a journal management component receiving a journal entry created by a user through the location-aware mobile device that is coupled to a plurality of other devices of the plurality of mobile devices;

a clock circuit determining a creation time of the journal entry to allow tagging by the location-determination circuit on the location-aware mobile device of the journal entry with at least one of the location and creation time;

a database storing the journal entry; and

a user interface component providing access to the journal entry by at least some of the users of the other devices of the plurality of mobile devices.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user-generated content includes one of text messages, digital photographs, video clips, or audio clips.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the user-generated content is produced through components available on the location-aware mobile device.

10. A location-aware mobile communication device system comprising:

a location determination component determining the relative locations of a plurality of mobile devices within a defined area;

a map display component displaying a scalable map on each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;

a location sharing component displaying the location of a first mobile device on the scalable map and displaying the locations of one or more other mobile devices on the scalable map when a trusted relationship has been established between a user of the first mobile device and respective users of the one or more other mobile devices, and a location sharing option has been enabled;

a journal management component receiving a journal entry created by a user through the location-aware mobile device that is coupled to a plurality of other devices of the plurality of mobile devices;

a clock circuit determining a creation time of the journal entry to allow tagging of the journal entry with at least one of the location and creation time;

a database storing the journal entry; and

a user interface component providing access to the journal entry by at least some of the users of the other devices of the plurality of mobile devices.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the journal entry includes one or more items of user-generated content.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user-generated content includes one of text messages, digital photographs, video clips, or audio clips.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the user-generated content is produced through components available on the location-aware mobile device.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the location of the user and the places of interest are updated on the scalable map by updated location information determined by a global positioning system component.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the location sharing component includes a location determining module selected from the group consisting of user input, global positioning system technology, WiFi positioning technology, Bluetooth technology, Radio Frequency signal technology, and Cellular identification technology.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of mobile devices are coupled to one another over a cellular telephone network, and wherein each respective location-aware mobile device comprises a cellular telephone.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a journal entry created by a user through a location-aware mobile device that is coupled to a plurality of other user'"'"'s through a communication network;

determining a location of the user through a location-determination circuit on the location-aware mobile device;

determining a creation time of the journal entry through a clock circuit on the location-aware mobile device;

tagging the journal entry with at least one of the location and creation time;

storing the journal entry in a database;

providing access to the journal entry by other users of the communication network, wherein the database is stored on a data store of a server computer coupled to the location-aware mobile devices of the user and each of the other users, wherein each of the other users is a registered friend of the user as validated by a validation process executed by the server computer; and

providing limited access to the journal entry to unvalidated users comprising users who are not validated by the validation process, the limited access comprising viewing the journal entry without the location information.